Cleaning devices are already known which, by means of an emission device, emit cleaning fluid out of an outlet aperture onto the area of the floor located in front of the retaining plate. With a cleaning cloth arranged at the retaining plate, the cleaning fluid, which can also contain a disinfectant fluid or is such a fluid, can be distributed onto the floor (DE 100 40 014 A1). The flat surface distribution of the cleaning fluid emerging from the outlet aperture, however, still requires substantial expenditure of time and labor.
A cleaning device is therefore also known from DE 102 29 327 A1 which has a fluid outlet which is designed as a spray strip, which has several outlet apertures distributed over the longitudinal extension of the strip. As a result of this, the cleaning fluid can be applied in linear fashion, and the effort required for distributing the cleaning fluid can be reduced. The spray strip is arranged close to the floor, on at least one longitudinal edge of the retaining plate, and therefore close to the cleaning area, with the result that the risk pertains of the outlet apertures of the spray strip rapidly becoming dirty, and replacement or cleaning becoming necessary. In addition, the spray strip extending beyond the spray area may become damaged in the course of its longitudinal extension during the use of the cleaning device, for example under low items of furniture or in the area of other obstacles, so that a uniform distribution of the cleaning fluid is impaired.
Generic cleaning systems of the type in which the present invention spray head assembly may be used appear in U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,618 to Hall, et al. Flat jet nozzles are also known in the art, however, primarily for use in high pressure cleaning of stone and other dense surfaces of building exteriors. This is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,840 to Schulze; U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,032 to Graef; U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,122 to Eisenmann; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,148 to Steinhilber. No art comparable in structure or function to the present assembly is known to the inventor.
A need therefore exists for a cleaning device of the type referred to with which the application and distribution of cleaning fluid can be carried out in a time-saving and convenient manner, which can be manufactured with little effort, can be easily fitted, and can also be used in confined spaces with obstacles and in severely dirt-contaminated areas which are to be cleaned.